23 days for Conspiracy
by xXAerisXx
Summary: Chapter 5 plus Interlude 001 now postedPlease read and review. Thankyou :
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Final fantasy VII belongs to SqureEnix!**

**Please read and review if possible!**

**This chapter is actually a modified version of the original one that I first posted up. The original chapter was a bit messy so I changed some of the formatting to make it similar to all the other chapters I have, for consistency's sake. So if you happen to read the bolded lettering concerning author's note on formatting in chapter 2, don't get too confused because that message applies to the original chapter 1. Okay… I'll stop now… enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: Of Pranks and Notes**

The sky darkened, clouds looming overhead…

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Sitting behind a desk mounted with nothing but piles of paper work, a man in a dark suit symbolizing the authority of nothing other than "I-am-a-Turk" was reading through reports concerning the terrorist group AVALANCHE. Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his long black hair and tied it up into a ponytail. His face was stern, but not unforgiving. Despite his young age, he had already climbed his way up the Turk hierarchy and was now considered to be a superior among his colleagues.

It was going to be another late night for Shinra employees as they worked to uncover the reasons responsible for the recent mishaps occurring throughout the outskirts of Midgar in addition to adjusting to the new president of the company, Rufus Shinra. The former president's death was surprising but it was also an incident that was to be expected. After all, with all the recent tax hikes, the growing number of impoverished citizens within Midgar, and not to mention the minimal amount of effort put forth to rebuild multiple sectors, it was difficult not to despise Shinra.

Not too far off, the distant footsteps of an approaching individual could be heard. "Geez, not now…" The black haired Turk moaned. He already had enough work to deal with without the commotion caused by a certain someone… Suddenly, the door flew open and there stood an individual seemingly mocking what it meant to "look" like a Turk. His hair was atrociously red framed by a pair of goggles, while he bore no tie around his neck, he made no effort to tuck in his dress shirt which hung loosely over his pants.

"Good day to you _Captain Tseng_!" chimed the red head.

"I told you to cut that out, now leave me alone Reno, or I'll report this to President Shinra." Tseng's tone was grave and to the point.

"Hey! You don't have to get that serious yo, I was just bored and decided that of all people, I'd keep you company."

"That's the last thing I need, now get out." he was losing his nerve.

"You aren't being very fair, I'm not even---" before Reno could finish his sentence, a gun was drawn out in one sweeping motion by the black haired Turk and pressed against the red-head's forehead.

"Now then, we can either do this the easy way---", Tseng titled his head slightly to left and stared into Reno's fearful eyes, "---or the hard way, and I suggest you choose wisely."

Sweat began to trickle down Reno's back. "C-c'mon Tseng, I was just---". click The trigger was slowly being pulled back. "On second thought, maybe I'll go grab a drink…" Slowly backing away from his armed superior, Reno dashed for the door and quickly closed it. Tseng placed the weapon back in its holster and sat back down. "Yup, this is definitely going to be a long night."

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Downstairs in the pub Reno ordered his usual beverages and silently drank them. "Man, this place is getting so lame, there hasn't been anything to do lately… Give me an assignment already---"

"Talking to yourself again?" A bald man in dark sunglasses approached the counter and sat next to Reno.

"Eh? Oh, it's just you Rude. Yea, I guess you can say that this is the after effect of keeping me locked in for too long. Where have you been lately?" Reno began swirling his drink around watching bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass.

"Just got back from an assignment in Sector 5---" seeing the confused look on Reno's face, "---AVALANCHE."

"Oh…" the moment of silence dragged on before Reno spoke up again. "I'd like to get my hands on one of those AVALANCHE bastards, you know, teach them a lesson or two."

"I'm sure you would", replied Rude draining away his glass. "Anyhow, I've got to go." Searching within his pockets, he pulled out some gil and turned to leave.

"Going already?" Reno asked.

"Tseng told me to drop by about half an hour ago when I returned, something about paperwork."

"You're late then… well, have fun anyhow… seriously." Reno stated with a grin.

Before Rude reached the elevator at the far end of the pub, Reno bellowed, "TELL CAPTAIN TSENG THAT HE'D BETTER GIVE ME AN ASSIGNMENT SOON OR I'LL BE DROPPING BY TO SEE HIM AGAIN YO!" With that, Rude nodded and stepped into the elevator.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

It didn't matter what day or time it was, if there was work to be finished then it would get finished. At least for some people…

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Reno strolled across the recently polished hallway floor making his way towards Tseng's office hoping that an assignment involving leaving Shinra in hopes of some action elsewhere would be planned for him. Cautiously knocking on the door, no reply could be heard. Reno pressed his ear over the surface of the door and listened carefully… nothing. "That can't be right." Reno thought to himself. It was one thing for him to be late in the morning, but for Tseng? Impossible. Bracing himself for the worst that could happen for intruding into Tseng's office without permission, Reno poked his head into the room only to find Tseng sleeping peacefully with his head on the desk, pen still in hand.

The red haired Turk stepped into the room silently closing the door behind him. Walking over to Tseng, he looked down upon his colleague. His gaze was quickly distracted after noticing a marker lying on a nearby table. Innocently smiling, Reno picked up the marker and looked over his shoulder at the doorway. "Doesn't seem like anyone is coming… hehe, lesson number 1, never leave a marker lying about a sleeping person when Reno is around."

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

The door burst open, panting in front of the doorway a young female in a suit gasped for breathe. "Sir! I deeply apologize for being so late but the traffic was mayhem today and even though I left early like I usually do it didn't seem to help so please don't---" The blonde Turk stopped and gazed upon the back of her sleeping superior. "Huh?" Walking over to the desk, she tapped the shoulder of Tseng. "Sir… Sir! It's half past eight in the morning and you're still…" Finally stirring, Tseng sleepily raised his head and looked to see who had woken him up.

Staring into the face of his wide eyed co worker, Tseng asked, "What's with that face?"

"Umm…" the woman's face turned a bright shade of red. How would she tell him… hopefully it was washable… what if it wasn't? He'd think she was the culprit. "Err… sir, I think you should look at your… ahem…"

"What are you talking about? Seriously, whatever has gotten you all shaken up I suggest you immediately—" turning his head so that his face was reflected off the glass window of the office, Tseng starred in disbelief, "Oh god…"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"M-my apologies sir! I should have said it directly to you earlier but I---"

"No need to apologize, Elena. It was my fault for over sleeping." Tseng dried off his face with a towel upon exiting from the washroom. "But really now… when I find that Reno…"

"Reno sir?" replied Elena.

"Well, I couldn't think of a better candidate for this scheme. In any case, how are things coming along for you so far?"

"Uh… Y-yes sir! Things have been going smoothly upon my entrance to the Turks."

"I see, well, now that Reno's finally healed…"

"S-Sir! If I may, um…" Elena was finding it awfully difficult to find the correct words to use. Usually, she didn't have this type of problem among conversations with individuals other than Tseung…

"What is it?" Tseng asked as he walked over to his desk and straightened his paperwork.

"Well, as I am only a substitution for Reno, I've actually found the experience of being a Turk much more rewarding than my past position. For that, I was wondering weather I could continue to serve under you as a Turk…" Again, Elena's face turned red. Despite the short period of time she had worked under the status of a Turk, it had been the one of the best things that could have happened to her. Although the missions sometimes proved to be life threatening, she knew she had finally found her place in Shinra.

"Ah well, actually, I can't exactly demote your Turk status. In fact, I've already spoken with President Shinra and he has agreed to allow you to stay in your current position under my command along with Rude, Reno, and the others. So I'll be expecting much from you in the time to come." Tseng replied.

Happiness and excitement began to fill Elena's soul. Finally, Tseng was beginning to recognize her work. She knew she'd have to continue improving to greater heights in order to gain his full trust, but for now, his encouragement meant everything to her. "Yes sir! I'll definitely do my best!"

"Ah, before you leave, do you mind delivering these to Reeve?" Tseung pointed to the folders lying across from him.

"No, I don't mind." Picking up the folder, Elena headed across the room and opened the door. Before stepping out, she asked, "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Um… what will you be doing about Reno's punishment?"

"Hm… now that you mention it. Here." Flipping through the mound of papers on his desk, he managed to find a worn out envelope. "Deliver this to Reno by noon and tell him that he better give his all during this mission or else he'll be dealing with me."

"I will sir." With that, she closed the door.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Downstairs in the pub, Reno, Rude, and Elena gathered around the envelope from Tseng.

"Ehhh? A mission?" Reno lifted the envelope into the light attempting to see what was written inside.

"For goodness sake, just open it", replied Rude.

The two companions were back in the underground Shinra pub having their usual orders when Elena came running out of the elevator doors over to their location. As usual, her tone was as serious as ever, something Reno enjoyed poking fun at. He could just remember the first time he met her…

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Hey Elena!"Reno said while he took a seat next to the blonde turk at her desk. "Ouch, geez that hurt, stupid wounds. Anyhow, heard you'll be taking my place while I recover here yo."

"That's right. And who allowed you to come in here anyways?" she snapped.

"Technically, it's our office, my desk is over on the other end if you'd care to take a look."

"I don't have the time to stare at your mess, I have to finish these documents before Tseng returns."

"You're too tense, you've got to ease up a bit. Tseng won't kill you for not completing those papers."

"Well, it's a habit of mine to turn things in on time! Unlike a certain someone", snapped Elena.

"Hey! Where'd you hear that?" Reno asked with a grin.

"You'd be surprised how many people talk about you behind your back. In any case, it's expected of Turks to carry out there assignments on time and---"

"Blah, blah, blah… really, just ease a bit. It won't hurt."

"Get out!"

"Why?"

"Because I'm busy!"

"Why?"

"I've got reports to read over and documents to sign and file!"

"Why?" Reno was thoroughly enjoying the moment.

"UGH! Must you question everything?" Getting up from her seat, Elena grabbed Reno's shirt collar and attempted to drag him out of the room.

"Ow, ow, that's abuse you know! Okay, I'll go!"

"Fine!"

"Oh! and I'll also make sure to tell Tseng-chan how much you want to finish those papers for him. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear that you're working oh sooooo hard yo" Just at that moment, a paperweight came flying across the room aimed for Reno's head. "Woah!" Luckily, the door closed just in time behind him and he heard a smashing sound come from the room. "Phew!" Yelling louder so that Elena could hear him behind the closed door and especially for the other Shinra employees walking through the hallway, "WE SHOULD DO THAT AGAIN SOMETIME ELENA HONEY! IT WAS FUN YO" The sound of gun shots rang across the hallway….

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

(Returning back to the present moment in the pub)…

"Eh? But it's more fun guessing what I'll have to be doing! It's been a while since I've gotten to go somewhere you know!" Reno happily stated.

"Geez! Give me that!" Elena, tired of watching Reno act like a five year old, grabbed the envelope out of his hands and opened it.

"Hey! That's mine! And what are you still doing here, weren't you just suppose to deliver it to me?"

"That's none of your business!" Tearing the embossed Shinra sticker off the flap of the envelope, Elena read the message inside. A moment's silence past and then… "Hahahahahahahaha!" She clutched the paper in her hand while trying to control her laughter. "No way! You're in for it now after what you did to Tseng!"

"What? What is it? Hey, let me see!" Reno cried out, attempting to grab the paper back.

"What did you do to Tseng?" Rude looked over at the red head, eyebrow raised behind his sunglasses.

"Ah, nevermind that, it was a classic prank, that's all." Finally being able to read the paper from Tseng, Reno stood up at once. "... WHAT? You've got to be kidding me!" Running towards the elevator, he jabbed the button and at once, ran inside when the doors open.

"… What just happened?" Rude stated.

"You've got to pay his tab?" Elena answered.

"Hilarious…"

"Well, read for yourself then", Elena seated herself in Reno's chair and ordered from the bartender.

Rude picked up the letter and began skimming through it. Placing the paper back in its envelope, the bald headed Turk picked up his drink.

"Well?" Elena questioned, turning her gaze over to Rude.

"Nothing… I just don't think it's that bad… that Reno, he's over reacting…"

"Haha, you've got to be kidding me. I don't think I could ever imagine Reno doing such a task…"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

**Thanks for reading the first chapter of my Turk story. Although not much happened, I hope to put in more action and a lot more humor into the next chapters! Until then, stay tuned for Chapter 2!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hooray for Chapter 2! The story is finally beginning to come together, I think. Please read and comment! **

**Disclaimer: Final fantasy VII characters are the property of Square Enix.**

**Author's Note on FORMAT: Chapter 1 was a bit messy with all the bolding because I had trouble inserting asterisks and lines to divide the scenes. So in this chapter, I've decided to eliminate the bold lettering and attempt the use of **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII **whenever a new scene pops up… My apologies if the format becomes confusing…**

**Chapter 2: Lucky!**

Footsteps echoing down the hallway. The start of a new adventure?

_Must find Tseng. Must find Tseng. Must find Tseng._ These were the words constantly revolving within Reno's mind as he sprinted down the hallway towards Tseng's office. Aside from nearly slipping across the wet floor and smashing his head on the steel door, crashing into ShinRa employees sending paperwork and specimens flying in all directions, and receiving a blow to the head by Scarlet, Reno finally spotted Tseng's office door in view and Heidigger stepping out of it. Gasping for breath while he approached the bearded man (and hoping he wouldn't give off one of his hyena laughs), Reno attempted to squeeze what little speech he could muster out of his system while clinging onto Heidigger's ankle, "Must… find… Ts…".

"Wah? Oi, what do you need?" Hedigger's booming voice vibrated in Reno's ear canal, "And let go of my pants, you're going to dirty them!"

"Tse…"

"Eh? Out with it boy!"

"…Tseng…"

"Tseng? What about him?"

"Ugh…"

"Come now! Hey!"

Finally regaining his strength, the redheaded Turk straightened himself. "Move it yo!" With that, he charged forth towards Tseng's office only to have his entire self thrown back onto the floor as he collided into Heidigger's massive potbelly. "Hey, did you not understand the term, move it?" Angry and bit dazed, Reno clumsy got back on his feet a second time. "Guh… I said MOVE dammit! OUT OF M---"

"---Whatever business you've got with Tseng, postpone it. He's just left on an urgent assignment about fifteen minutes ago."

"Wh-what? Mission? N-noooooo! This can't happen to me!" Reno cried out.

"You? An assignment?" Heidigger boomed. "Tough luck. Whatever has gotten you this shaken up must be pretty good. In any case, what did Tseng whip up for you anyways?" Before Heidigger had finished his sentence, Reno took off towards the elevator. "HEY! LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS SOMETIME EH?"

"F!#!#" Reno cursed. Never had he been this unlucky in all his years as a Turk. Never! The elevator doors opened and Reno entered. Still muttering profanities under his breathe, a sudden movement alerted Reno that he wasn't alone in the elevator. Turning his head, a man with blonde hair and a crisp white suit stood between two guards. "S-Sir! I.. er… I apologize for my um… language…" Reno stuttered. Standing within the elevator next to Reno was the most powerful man in Midgar, Rufus Shinra. Of course, he only became the new president after his father was murdered by the notorious and renowned first class SOLDIER, Sephiroth.

"… no need." Rufus calmly stated.

_Oh geez… of all people to be in an elevator with…_Just at that moment, a small voice popped within Reno's head.

_This is the president here… surely he could adjust your assignment…_

_Tch, that's what I was going to say, don't interrupt my thoughts!_

_Idiot, I'm the essence of your thoughts._

_Alright then, let's see… how do I go about this? How about, "Hey President, I was just wondering, whether you could do me a favour?" Wait a minute… that's not the type of words to use with him… ugh…help me out here would you?_

_I will, but what will I get in return?_

_What? Oh geez, I'm compromising with my own thoughts. Find then. Work for me and I'll give you all the booze you want!_

_Deal! _

"I thought Tseng would have given you an assignment seeing that you're now up and functioning properly." Rufus stated.

"W-what? Oh… yea… he did… uh…" Reno said, still trapped in the tiny argument raging in his head. Ding! The doors reopened and Rufus stepped out into the first floor lobby leaving Reno behind, obviously not concerned with what he had just asked the Turk.

_C'mon Reno, you're letting him get away!_

_I'm aware of that!_

_Here just say this…_

As the doors began to close, Reno quickly jumped out. Looking in all directions to see where Rufus had gone, he finally spotted him entering numbers onto a pad by a large arched doorway. "Right, here goes nothing---" taking a deep breathe, Reno shouted across the lobby "PRESIDENT SHINRA, COULD I HAVE A WORD WITH YOU?"

"Hmm?" Rufus turned around to see the redheaded Turk jogging up to him. "What is it?"

"Uh, well… you see, the mission that Tseng gave me earlier… well, it's just that… it's not to my taste…"

"Since when have these assignments been created to suit your taste?"

"Never, sir! But the thing is, this assignment is quite different… um… how do I say this?..."

"You have thirty seconds to explain"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Sitting in the ShinRa pub, Elena and Rude continued to drink.

"So anyways, this guy comes up to me and says, 'what's your problem bitch?' and I'm like 'Nothin' and he's like 'Hah! Is that so?'…" As Elena continued to babble onwards, aided by the after effects of the alcohol she consumed, Rude quietly sat paying no heed to whatever she was saying but replying with the occasional, uh huh, really, and yea. Finally, Elena passed out and Rude slung her across his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes and marched out of the pub.

_Guess I should just drop her off in her office_, he thought to himself. It was lucky that both of them weren't assigned anything for today. Otherwise, in Elena's current drunk position, and Rude's I'm-still-tired-from-yesterday's-assignment-and-paperwork, they were in no condition to carry out any tasks.

** IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"And that's how it is." Reno finished without stopping in-between his sentences for air.

"Geez… well, in any case, I'll tell you that this is certainly some assignment you've got…"

Reno's face lit up. "Then you'll cancel it?"

Rufus thought a while. "I can't cancel an assignment once it's been given unless certain circumstances arise…"

Reno frowned.

"Well, in any case, I guess I could tweak this mission slightly…"

"Eh? How, how?" Reno asked.

Rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, Rufus thought a while. "…You can bring someone along… provided this individual agrees"

"Make that two!"

"Fine."

"Yes!" Reno punched his hand in the air, "That makes things a while lot better!"

"And also that you tell them the full details of this mission, no lying will be tolerated at all."

"Yes Sir! And Thank-you sir!" Reno saluted. With that, he turned around and sprinted down the hallway. _Heh, I know exactly who I'll be taking along with me!_ Reno thought.

Watching Reno run off, Rufus raised his head and closed his eyes. "I… just did something really stupid there didn't I?"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII **

As the elevator rose, it stopped on the first floor lobby. _Hmm…I was hoping to get Elena out of view before anyone could see her in this state_ Rude thought. The usual "ding!" chimed and the doors opened.

"Yo!" Reno said as he stepped into the elevator. "What a coincidence, I was just about to go look for you"

"You look happy," Rude stated.

"Sure am! You know why?"

"Surprise me…"

"Hehe…" Reno's grin turned wider.

"Somehow, I don't want to know now…."

"Too late! Beeeeeecaaaaauuuussssse you're going to accompany me on my little assignment."

"... says who?" responded Rude immediately.

"Rufus did." Reno often used the president's first name when he wasn't around seeing as it was easier to say than president this, and president that

"You're much too kind" Rude felt a rock drop to the pit of this stomach, there was no way he could get out of this one.

"I know! Okay! It's settled then---"

"What about Elena?" Rude pointed to the sleeping figure snoring over his shoulder.

"She's coming too."

Rude raised an eyebrow. "Even in this condition?"

"Sure! And a good thing too, otherwise I don't think I'd be able to persuade her to come along." Reno chimed.

"When she awakes, she'll hunt you down you know…"

"Uh huh…."

"When are you leaving?"

"Eh? Um, how about now?"

"Fine, better to get this over and done with…"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII **

Standing by a 4x4 vehicle, Reno opened the driver seat door and stepped inside. Jamming the keys to start the engine, he fixed his hair in the mirror. "All set partner?" he yelled out the window.

"Hold on." Rude replied, struggling to strap the seatbelt on the unconscious Elena.

"Something's wrong with these seatbelts," Rude stated.

"Huh?" Reno turned his head watching as Rude fidgeted with the seatbelt. "Just let her be."

"What?" Rude turned his head and bumped it into the car's interior ceiling sending his glasses askew. "Geez…" Rubbing his head, Rude glanced and Elena… "Somehow, I know I'm going to regret this…" Agreeing with Reno, Rude left Elena slouched over in the back seat while he climbed up into the passenger seat next to Reno. "Are you sure you should be driving?"

"Of course. You just had a drink yourself if I remember. So that makes me more sober than you are right now!"

"Hmm…." Rude highly doubted that.

"Okay! Ready?"

"Huh? Ah---" Before Rude could respond, the vehicle lurched forward and zoomed out of the garage. Although Rude had experienced Reno's driving plenty of times before, that didn't mean he was use to it. Grabbing hold of the seat, Rude's body felt as if it were compressing backwards onto the seat.

"Doesn't this feel great? Wish I could get the wind in my hair!" Reno said.

Rude somehow nodded at this and slowly turned his head to see how Elena was doing. Surprisingly, she was still in her seat, drool smeared across one side of her face. Everything seemed to be going quite smoothly as they drove until Reno's foot smashed onto the breaks.

"H-hey! What's going on!" Reno cried out.

Rude turned around, wondering why Reno had stopped the car. Looking ahead, he noticed the large number of cars that lined each lane.

"No way! What the hell's going on? Traffic isn't always this bad, right Rude?"

"Must be something serious to make such a mess. An accident?"

"Pfft. Yea right. Accident my ass."

At that instant, a large flash teared across the sky in the distance. Shielding their eyes from the light, Rude and Reno guessed what was happening up ahead.

"Hey, that was a ShinRa flare. I wonder if they're calling for backup." Reno quickly said while undoing his seatbelt. "Stupid, belt… there. C'mon, there's no way we'll be moving if we just sit in here. If there's conflict up ahead then traffic would definitely be halted for sure." Rude nodded in agreement. Although they were suppose to be on their way to accomplish their assignment, Rude felt he'd rather check this out than hurry towards… that place. Putting on his gloves, he got out of the car and remembered Elena was in the back. "Should we wake her?"

"Forget it, she'll probably get herself killed instead." Reno said drawing out his rod. "Hey, where you going, it's the other way!" Rude walked up to an individual on a motorcycle.

"Excuse me, could I borrow your vehicle?" Rude asked, trying to sound polite.

"Eh? What the hell? Who do you think you are demanding my motorcycle, do you have any idea wh---ARGH!" The man fell back onto the pavement. Reno removed his rod from the individual's back and looked at Rude.

"As always…" Rude said, taking hold of the motorcycle. "This time, I think I'll drive"

"Whatever, just get there before all the action is over," Reno grinned.

As both Turks got on the motorcycle and sped through the traffic, Elena blissfully slept, unaware of the ongoing crisis up ahead in the distant sector.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII **

**Next: Chapter 3! (I haven't decided on a title yet, but let me assure you that this is where the action will start! So stay tuned!) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here you go! Another chapter finished, and another chapter under way! Cheers!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from Final fantasy VII, it all belongs to SquareEnix… blah blah blah… you know the rest.**

**Chapter 3: Dawn of a New Beginning**

Bullets flying, lives being taken, the battle rages on…

The twisting lanes of Midgar's freeways were filled with nothing but the loud hum of engines. Speeding through the traffic, Rude desperately tried to concentrate on steering the motorcycle from crashing stalled vehicles ahead of him. Needless to say, dying in car crash on the way to a rescue mission wasn't the type of death he hoped for. Sitting behind him, Reno laughed maniacally, "Now this is what you call having the wind in your hair yo! Wish you could experience this too huh?" Rude remained silent, not in the least amused.

"We should be there in about two minutes", Rude stated.

"Two? Geez, I could have gotten us there by now if you had let me driven!" Reno whined.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Running through the gunfire, a member of SOLDIER finally spotted who he was looking for, "Sir!", he said facing the Wutian Turk, Tseng.

"What's the current situation?" Tseng asked while reloading his gun.

"Squad A has been eliminated and squads C and E have been dispatched, currently on tail of AVALANCHE! Sir!"

Quickly pulling the trigger back, Tseng fired four times into the adjacent building window on the top floor, "Tch, missed."

"…"

"Have Squad's C and E immediately retreat for now." He replied.

"B-but sir!---"

"--- and have them relocated to the Mako Reactor."

"What?" the SOLDIER stated, looking stunned.

"There's no time to be chasing, our objective is to prevent the explosion of that mako reactor at ALL COSTS! That is President ShinRa's orders."

"Yes sir!"

As the SOLDIER ran off, Tseng slipped into the shadows of a nearby alleyway.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Pacing up a deserted sidewalk, Tseng stopped and listened. Up ahead, an old storage building came toppling down. With dust being blown in all directions from the fall, Tseng struggled to see what was happening around him. "S#!$!" he cursed, "What the hell is happening?"

Tseng ran forward. Unfortunately, in his current position, there was no where to shelter from potential enemies. "I have to get away from he---" he spoke to soon.

Clutching his abdomen, blood began dripping through his fingers. "Ugh…what… the?" Tseng continued running, constantly shifting his gaze, gun in hand. With the level of pain increasing, Tseng began doubting whether he would be able to make it out of this area in time.

Silently watching the Turk leave a trail of crimson blood behind, the sniper positioned his self for another aim. "This time, I won't miss…" he muttered. "Click." The trigger was pulled back.

As if in slow motion, the bullet tore through the air, leaving a streak in the floating dust. Footsteps echoed, Tseng ran. The bullet came closer… closer…. closer… Tseng turned his head, spotting a small object coming towards him. Stopping in his tracks, there was no way he would be able to dodge it. Within that split second, a thought flashed in his mind, "There's no way I can die here! Not yet!" And everything turned pitch black.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Sitting in his office, Rufus stared out the window. "And so it begins…"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"N-no mommy, I don't want to eat fish sticks… poor fishies… I… NOOOOO!" Elena jolted right up. Rubbing her eyes, she looked about her surroundings. "Where on earth…" Two words appeared in her mind, _Kill…Reno…_Another flash appeared in the distance. "ShinRa flare?" Hopping out the door, Elena searched for her cellphone. Punching in numbers, she held it up to her ear. "Come on… answer!"

"_ShinRa Electric Company, please enter your access code followed by the pound key."_

"beep, beep, beep, beep"

"_Please hold… user identified as 00024576. Please confirm by stating yes or no."_

_ugh…_"yes"

"_I'm sorry, we couldn't confirm that, please state yes or no"_

"YES!"

"_Please hold while we transfer your account"_

"F#!&ing piece of---"

"_Please select from the following choices. 1. User information. 2. Voicemail. 3. Available services. 4. Speak to an available representative."_

"beep"

"_You've selected… 4. Speak to an available representative. Please confirm by stating yes or no"_

"Arrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhh!" Elena screamed. "YOU PIECE OF JUNK! THIS IS TAKING WAAAY TO LOOOONG!"

"_I'm sorry, we couldn't confirm that, please state yes or no"_

"YES! YES! YES! FOR GOD'S SAKE, YEEEES!"

"_I'm sorry, we couldn't confirm that, please state yes or no"_

"N-noooooo….. this can't be happening… why does this take-so-long?"

"_Please hold… Please select from the following choices. 1. User information. 2. Voicemail. 3. Available services. 4. Speak to an available representative."_

"……………………Tch. Forget it. Closing her cellphone, she pondered. "There's got to be something that I can--- Aha!"

Running to the back of the 4x4, Elena turned the latch and raised the door. Moving the equipment aside, she lifted the bottom of the detachable flooring and pulled out what appeared to be a skateboard. Grabbing a set of official ShinRa fireworks from a box, courtesy of Reno, Elena quickly strapped them onto the end of the skateboard. Making sure everything was secure, she aligned the skateboard on the pavement and closed her eyes. "Okay Elena. Don't panick, if Reno can do this… so can you." Reaching in her breast pocket, she pulled out a set of matches. Lighting the end of the fireworks, she quickly stood on top of the skateboard. "Right… it's all a matter of endurance, just a matter of endurance, just a matter o—woooooooahhhhhhhhhh!" The skateboard lunged forward sending the female Turk down the open lane.

"O-okay… just slightly keep my legs positioned as so, and---"

"HEY CRAZY LADY! AHEAD OF YOU!" a man in a pickup truck yelled out.

"Huh?" Looking in front of her, she noticed a sign signalling that the road would be sharply turning. "WAAAH?"

Somehow, as if by pure chance or luck, Elena's skateboard tilted and flew over the edge of the road through the opening of the metal fencing, sparks flying about. Landing roughly on the road again, the skateboard continued to move forward. Opening her eyes, Elena prayed to God that she would never try such a stunt again if she lived to see the end of this ride.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

**Phew, chapter 3 finished. Next chapter, what is Tseng's fate? Where are Rude and Reno? Will Elena make it in time for the action? Just what exactly is happening? Stay tuned for chapter 4!**


	4. Interlude 001

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII belongs to SquareEnix.**

**This chapter doesn't have anything to do with the current plot that's going on, it's just a short side chapter that I thought would be nice to include every now and then for this story. Enjoy!**

**Interlude 001**

It was difficult to tell what sort of things went through Rude's head. Despite how tall he was compared with the "average man", he was usually silent and calm; always following orders without objection. This was the image he projected towards those he was acquainted with.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

**Location: Shinra Headquarters… somewhere within the building….**

**Date: Oct 26**

**Time: 14:08**

"… this is getting boring…" Rude thought to himself as he paced about in his office waiting for some sort of assignment to arrive. He wouldn't even mind if it was some petty paperwork task from Tseng. Finally losing his patience, he left the room. Walking down the deserted hallway, Rude swore he could have smelled the scent of… lavender? Retracing his steps, Rude stood in front of the washroom door. "Strange…" he thought to himself, "This room isn't normally in use…."

Carefully pushing the door open so as not to make a sound, Rude peered inside. Standing in front of the mirror was none other than his co-worker, Reno. "Lalala", the redhead chimed to himself while combing his long ponytail. "Man, I just looooooooove my hair! I don't understand how Rude can live without it! He's missing out! My beautiful, precious hair… I loooooove you!"

"…", closing the door, Rude stepped out and continued walking down the hallway. That was something he could have lived without…

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Stepping into the elevator, Rude pressed the button for the ground level. "Rude! I've been meaning to have a word with you", a voice called out from behind. Entering the same elevator as Rude, the black haired Turk fidgeted with the pile of papers he was attempting to balance.

"What is it, Tseng?" Rude asked.

"Ah… hold onto this for a second…" Tseng cried out from behind the paperwork. Handing the papers to Rude, Tseng pulled out an elastic from his pocket. "Geez, I can't work like this, do you have any idea how much work President Shinra has been passing over to me?" Tseng complained.

As Tseng flipped back his long black hair and carefully bound the elastic around his ponytail, Rude stared. For Rude, this seemed to all be happening in slow motion, like one of those hair product commercials that Elena so often gawked over where the actress swung her hair around letting it fly about so that the audience could see how smooth and silky it had become.

Ding! The elevator door slid open. "Oh, here you go!" Rude quickly said as he returned the paperwork.

"What? Oh, hold on Rude! I have to---"

"Sorry Tseng. I just remembered that I have something...er… really important to do!" With that, Rude took off, oblivious of what direction he was walking.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Finally stopping, Rude sat down on a vacant seat near a conference room. This wasn't like him at all he thought. Shaking his head in an attempt to forget what he had witnessed, Rude decided to go out and get some fresh air.

"Rude! There you are!" a blonde female cried out as she ran towards Rude.

"Elena? What happened to… your hair?"

"Eh? You noticed!" she squealed in delight. "So?"

"So…"

"Well? What do you think?" she said as she spun around like a ballerina.

"Um…"

"Oh come on! You must have some opinion!"

"I uh…" sweat began trickling down his forehead.

"Ugh! Forget it! Men…. Anyways, here!" Unfortunatly, the moment Elena shifted through her papers to find what she was about to hand over to Rude, he had taken off. "R-Rude!"

And there he went… running off… Rude… the bald Turk…

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

**Whoa, this was some chapter… I have no idea what was going through my head when I was writing this… My apologies if I offended any Rude, Tseng, or Elena fans out there, but it just got so tempting!  
**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is the property of SquareEnix**

**Finally, Chapter 4 is up! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4- Reminiscent days **

The raven haired Turk began to stir as he slowly opened his eyes. "Where… am I?" he said, finally gaining consciousness. Sitting up, Tseng noticed that he no longer bore the wound he had received while attempting to escape from the sniper. Unfortunately, things were only about to become stranger by the second as he finally took note of his surroundings. One word could describe what he saw before his eyes, _nothing_. He was longer in the winding slums of Midgar, he was no longer fighting for ShinRa, he was nowhere…lost.

For what seemed to stretch for miles and miles on end, was nothing but a vast, empty, white space. As Tseng stepped forward, his footstep echoed around him sending chills up his spine. Not only was this place empty, but it was also very quiet. Any sound Tseng made seemed to threaten the very existence of this world. It was as if his every breath of this chilling air could tear through the whiteness.

"_Did I die and move onto the lifestream?"_ he thought to himself. But what exactly did the life stream look like? Shaking his head to rid himself of his philosophical reasoning, Tseng began to walk. Where to? He had to idea, but anything was better than standing in one spot. His walk suddenly broke out into a run. He was panicking; even if there was nothing to physically harm him here, it was doing a pretty damn well job at attacking him mentally. _"Come on Tseng, pull yourself together!"_ Finally slowing his pace, Tseng took a few deep breaths to calm his self down. _"Strange…I… could have sworn I heard someone just now…"_

Looking back and forth, the Wutian finally spotted a small speck in the distance. Deciding that he had nothing to lose, Tseng moved towards the stranger.

"Where are you going?"a soft voice asked from behind the Turk. Jumping on the spot, Tseng quickly turned around, startled to only to discover a small child. She was probably no older than 10 years of age, with long wavy brown hair tied with a red bow into a neat ponytail which interlaced its way down her back. Her face was fair, embedded with large emerald green eyes which sparkled. She wore a pink dress with a white trim and carried what appeared to be a basket full of freshly picked flowers.

"You are…" Tseng said, relieved that he wasn't the only person here. The child merely smiled and held out her basket. The scent of the flowers filled Tseng's nostrils. It had been a while since he had smelled anything so sweet.

"Would you like one?" her tone was sweet and innocent. "Here!" Reaching into the basket, she pulled out one of the flowers and handed it to Tseng.

"Er… thank you" Tseng replied. For whatever reason, he was speechless at the moment. _"This girl…_" he thought, _"she seems so familiar…"_ Staring at the flower for a minute, Tseng finally managed to ask, "Have we met before?"

Closing her eyes, the girl merely smiled again and began to fade away. "W-wait! How do I get out of here!" Tseng cried out. As his hand reached out to touch her, she disappeared, leaving a trail of green sparkles floating around before they too, disappeared.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Tseng opened his eyes once more, this time to a place more familiar. He was now lying in bed in a dimly lit room. Cobwebs hung in every crack and corner, thick layers of dust rested upon every surface, apparently this place hadn't been in use for a long time. The curtains had been drawn back, it was now dark outside. Struggling to get up, Tseng winced at the pain in his abdomen, it seemed as if he was finally back in reality. But what about that dream… or was it a dream? Removing the sheets, Tseng examined his wound. Someone had definitely patched it up, but had done a poor job in the long run.

"Looks like captain Tseng is finally up and running yo!" a familiar voice rang across the hall. Opening the door, Reno stood before his superior. "How you feeling?" the red headed Turk asked.

Smiling to himself, Tseng replied, "Never felt better, although I kind of wished you hadn't bandaged me up in the first place."

Reno frowned, not pleased at all with Tseng's remark, "So that's the thanks I get for helping you huh? Well, in that case, next time I'll gladly let you bleed to death yo!"

"I'd prefer that." Tseng said, attempting to get off the bed.

Reno watched as Tseng struggled to move about, _"If that bullet had been 3mm more over to the right, it would have damaged one of his vital organs… in that case he would have---"_

"---You shouldn't move around too much, you've already lost a lot of blood," came another familiar voice.

"Rude…" Tseng replied, a bit startled that not one, but two Turks would be here. The bald Turk came into view and stood next to Reno in between the doorway.

"Geez… was I that pathetic out there?" Tseng asked, putting on his shirt.

"Actually---" chimed Reno, Rude quickly stepped on top of his companion's foot. "OW! What was that for!" Reno screamed, jumping up and down in pain.

"Anyhow, we saw a flare in the distance when we were stalled on the freeway." Rude stated, trying not to display any form of emotion on his face while Reno pranced about holding onto his foot.

"Flare?" Tseng asked. _"I must not have seen it due to all the dust that was floating around when the building collapsed…"_ Sitting back on the old mattress, Tseng asked in his usual serious tone, "What happened after I passed out? Explain."

Rude and Reno looked at each other, this wouldn't be easy to explain to Tseng. What happened was probably all due to pure chance…

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"Come on Rude! Can't you make this thing go any faster!" Reno yelled over the roar of the engine. The two Turks had been driving around for quite a while now, and with no doubt, the fuel was running low.

"I still don't see an entrance to this place." Rude replied, agitated that Reno wasn't helping him look for the gateway at all. The gunfire hadn't ceased since they had arrived on the outskirts of this slum, screams could be heard as locals attempted to shelter themselves from the violent outbreaks occurring throughout the area. Apparently, ShinRa had made no effort to evacuate citizens before they opened fire at the enemy. Finally spotting the entrance, Rude breathed a sigh of relief, _"Finally"_ he thought to himself. Coincidentally, the motorcycle's engine stopped humming and the whole vehicle came to a stop.

"Already?" Reno asked. Hopping off, he swung his rod about, "Alright! Time for some action!" Without thinking, the red head ran forth.

"He doesn't think does he?" Rude mumbled. Setting the motorcycle aside, he ran after Reno.

As Reno approached the gate, he heard a sound that was all too familiar for him- the explosion of his favorite firework. "What the!" shifting his gaze to the right, he spotted the outline of an individual. As the person came closer and closer, Reno squinted in vain to see who it was.

"WATCH OUT!" the sound of a high pitched female voice cried out, finally coming into view.

Reno watched, horrified of what he saw coming before him at a remarkably high speed. "E-Elena!" he stuttered. "OOF!" it was too late, before Reno could move, she had collided into him. Rubbing his head in pain, Reno looked around him. "Where did she go?" he asked out loud smiling.

"Don't play stupid! Now get off of me before you really get it!" She threatened him. Somehow during the collision, Elena had ended up as the cushion, thereby receiving the majority of the injuries. Pushing Reno aside, the blonde Turk got up and dusted the dirt of her suit. "Ugh! I'm never doing that again!"

"But you did it so well!" Reno gleefully said. "I had no idea what a big influence I had on you!"

"You don't! Anyways, you're lucky I'm even alive!" she retorted in anger. In truth, she actually enjoyed that ride… just a little bit.

"I'm surprised you got here at the same time we did," Rude said, walking over.

"I took a shortcut." Elena replied. In an instant, Elena had her arm wrapped around Reno's neck in an attempt to choke him.

"Cu-ahh!-Cut-it- cough-cough out! R-rude!" the red head desperately cried out, tears soaking his eyes, Elena was definitely doing a good job at choking him to death.

"That's! For! Everything! Horrible! You've! Ever! Done! To! Me!" Elena screamed, pulling her prey into an even tighter head lock.

"Ahh! Can't…breathe!" Reno gagged.

Rude sighed, they were acting like children. Walking up to his two coworkers, Rude grabbed onto both of their shirt collars and pulled them apart. Arms still swinging wildly, Elena struggled to gouge out Reno's eyes now, while Reno merely stuck out his tongue at her.

"WHY YOU!" Elena screeched.

"If both of you don't cut this out, I'm going to personally deal with you…" Rude stated, his voice was calm and threatening. This was the Rude you wouldn't want to mess with.

A moment's silence and Rude let go of his two companions. "Let's get going. You can kill each other on your own time." With that, Rude led the way through the gate. _"I hate this part of my job…"_ he contemplated.

Looking at each other for a split second, Reno and Elena hurried to catch up with the bald Turk.

As the three Turks entered the slum, it was in a condition beyond recognizable. As if this area was already struggling to sustain life, it was now in a state beyond imaginable. There was nothing left, shacks and trailers were torn down, bullet holes and blood smeared across every wall, and worst of all, dead bodies lying about.

"Horrible…" Elena shuddered as she made her way through the rubble. "Where do we go from here?"

"It seems that the gunfire has moved up ahead… over there" Rude pointed out.

"Another mako reactor?" Reno stated as he looked in the direction Rude's finger pointed to. "AVALANCHE must be having the time of their lives!"

"How would you know it's AVALANCHE?" Elena angrily retorted.

"It's common knowledge missy!" Reno replied. A vein began to twitch on Rude's forehead. Noticing this, Reno stopped talking and hurried forth to the mako reactor. Taking this hint, Elena followed his lead and marched after Reno, Rude following behind.

As the trio neared the reactor, something caught Reno's eye. "Hold on a minute." Reno whispered, something had caught his eye, but whether it was a friend or foe, he couldn't make it out. Dust still hung densely in the air, making it extremely hard to navigate.

"R-Reno, where are you?" Elena asked.

"Ouch, that's my foot!" the red head cried.

"Ah, sorry… er… what do you see?"

"I don't know, I thought I heard something… gunshot being fired, and then something falling…" As Reno, Elena, and Rude neared the scene, they saw a figure crouched over something.

"What's th--- mmph!" Elena said, as Reno covered her mouth with his hand and signaled for both of them to be quiet. As they hid amongst the shadows and watched, they heard a faint voice coming from the stranger.

"I would kill you instantly… but letting you die in agony would be much more amusing… Damn ShinRa, do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused for me and this slum! HUH!" The stranger began to kick the unconscious victim lying on the ground.

Elena inched closer, desperately curious to know what was happening. "Are you stupid! Come back here!" Reno waved his arms towards her.

Turning back to Reno, she merely gave the thumbs up. "It's okay!"

Unfortunately, they were spotted. "Who's there!" the stranger barked, stepping forward. His voice was rough.

"Uh oh…" was all Elena could say. A shadow loomed over her. Turning around, her eyes grew wide with fear as a gun was aimed at her face.

"Another one of you huh?" the stranger said, spit flying about. His face was covered in grime, his clothes torn and patched.

"I…" Elena stuttered.

"ELENA!" Reno and Rude yelled out in unison. They wouldn't make it in time.

BANG!

The stranger fell over. His mouth hung wide as blood spilled underneath him. He was dead.

Elena lowered her arm, "Wh-what happened?"

Reno and Rude ran over, "Hey! I told you to stay where you were, idiot!" Reno scolded the female Turk. "Are you listening? HEY! You could have been---"

"Reno…" Rude said, and pointed in the direction of where the victim was laying. Looking to where Rude was pointing once again, Reno's mouth hung agape.

"Tseng!" the red head said to himself. Tseng had somehow got up and was now leaning against a wall, one of his hands was clutching his abdomen, blood dripped onto the floor, while the other hand held firmly onto his gun. Tseng had shot the stranger. No longer able to bear the pain, the black haired commander collapsed onto the floor, his ponytail set loose.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"And sooo---", continued Reno, "---we had to drag your heavy body out of that place. Luckily, we found this shack a little bit south on the outskirts of the slum… should be safe here for a while…"

"…." Tseng sat in silence.

"Hey! It's the truth! I'm not lying this time yo!" Reno quickly added seeing the look on the Wutian's face.

Tseng turned his head towards Rude, who nodded in reply, confirming Reno's story.

"I see…" Tseng said while getting up. "… by the way, what happened to Elena?" Tseng asked heading towards the door.

"Huh? Oh, she's downstairs on the sofa. Apparently she fainted when she saw her Tseng-chan all hurt and blood---OW!" Reno cried out. What was that for?

"Nothing," Tseng stated as he massaged his hand, he wasn't expecting Reno to be so hard headed.

"Let's go!" Tseng directed as he exited the room.

"Okay!" Reno grinned, while Rude silently walked after them.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

**Gosh that was tiring. Next time, more characters to be incorporated! Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Cid, Vincent, Cait Sith, Red XIII! Who knows, next up, Chapter 5! (Due to certain circumstances, Ch.5 proabably won't be uploaded for a little while as far as I know. But I'll try my best to update ASAP so stay tuned!)  
**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is the property of SquareEnix**

**Sorry for such a long wait. Well… enjoy! **

**Chapter 5: Redemption**

Red dust hovered in the air as the last remnants of the sand storm blew away. The ground and walls were tainted with crimson. It had been a long night of bombs and gunfire sounding throughout the night. What was left of this barren landscape was nothing but rubble and heaps of scrap metal. A junkyard? No… it was worse. It was a place of rebellious massacre. A place filled with people who stood up for the same vision, but instead, had had that vision trampled on by the military. By Shinra…

"How long are we going to have to stay here?!? Eh Cloud? How long dammit!" lashed out a largely built man, one arm flying about in the air, while the other one literally threatened to shoot someone. This was Barret Wallace, leader of the notorious anti-government group AVALANCHE and also a wanted man of Shinra.

Leaning against a wall, a young man of no more than twenty one years of age shook his head at this remark, his blonde hair swaying back and forth. His eyes were concentrated on the dusty floor, as if he might be able to burn a hole through it and jump in, vanishing from this world and into eternity. "We can't…. not yet…" was all he could say, and continued to stare into the darkness that clouded his mind.

"Tch!", a teenage Wutian girl quickly stood up and faced Cloud. "Seriously, how long are you going to brood over this? What's happened has happened! It's not like we can go back in time and change this! So accept it and act your age!"

"Jeez, there she goes again…" muttered a middle aged man as he lit his cigarette.

"Shut up Cid!" the girl retorted. "Really, Cloud… act your age once in a while…" Turning around, she exited the room but not before dragging Cid out with her. "O-Oi! Let go you brat!"

Nearby, the rest of AVALANCHE sat in silence. Their thoughts also obscured by the recent mishaps that had forsaken this land and their friend. "Cloud…" whispered Tifa, Cloud's childhood friend. Her long dark hair was wrapped loosely at the end. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply and sighed, a pained expression cutting across her face.

"Tifa!" Vincent said. She turned around to face a man draped in a red cloak. His arms folded inward as he looked over her head towards Cloud. "Get a hold of yourself." With that, he left the room, his red cloak silently following him. "Barret," he called out, "I need to talk to you about a certain matter…"

"Huh? Uh, sure… but make it quick!" Taking one last glimpse at Cloud, he followed after Vincent's league.

In the corner, an animal of unknown species yawned and slowly got up. Stretching, he made his way towards Tifa before leaving the room and quietly whispered, "Put some sense into him, only you can do it…"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

The lamp flickered ominously in the room, causing shadows to dance about the walls. The wind continued to howl outside. After what seemed like forever, Cloud sat down on a wooden crate.

"There wasn't anything I could do…I couldn't save her." Cloud calmly stated. His head buried in his hands.

"That's… not true…" said Tifa.

"I… tch! What was I doing?!?"

"Please stop blaming yourself…She was a precious person to all of us…"

"I… I wanted to change… but if change was to bring about death of those I…Then I would never have…"

"I'm here for you Cloud! So believe in me! Believe in everyone!" Tifa stood up.

Walking towards Cloud, she stood in front of him and looked down. Tears filled Tifa's eyes. This wasn't the Cloud she knew. This figure who displayed a weakened mind of sadness and sorrow was a stranger. How could she comfort him? To restore his confidence and dignity…

"I'm sorry… Aeris… It was my fault. If I had been more attentive. If I had more strength…Tifa…Everyone…I let you down…"

A moment's silence.

"You…."Tifa said. "WHY?!?" With that, she swung her hand across the blonde's face, sending shockwaves throughout his mind and bringing him back to reality. "For goodness sake! Wake up! Cloud! "

Raising his hand to touch his face, he winced at the pain a simple slap had done.

"Cloud…I want to help... but only if you'd let me…So Please! Stop blaming youself! Don't shut us out! Please…" she managed to mutter. More tears continued streaming down her face as she helplessly sat on the floor.

Looking down at his comrade and best friend, he bent down and placed his hand on top of her head.

"Huh?" Tifa looked up. Although Cloud wasn't directly looking at her, she could tell her words and actions had woken him up. He wasn't the Cloud she knew, in fact, he wasn't even the Cloud that she knew a minute ago, no, this was a brand new Cloud. A Cloud with a look of determination in his eyes.

"Let's go" he stated. Helping Tifa to her feet, the two left the room and headed out the door to the open where everyone awaited them.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

The door slammed shut behind them as they walked down the crooked stairs leading towards a vacant room. "Where is she?" Tseng asked.

"Huh?" Reno sleepily stated as he followed the black haired Turk from behind. Rubbing his eyes, he loudly yawned and stretched his hands nearly taking out Rude's own eyes.

Adjusting his glasses, the bald Turk raised his hand and whispered into Reno's ear, "Idiot, where's Elena?"

"Elena?" Reno restated. A grin spread across his face.

"Well?" Tseng asked again, this time having stopped at the bottom of the staircase as he turned to face the red head.

Shrugging his shoulders, Reno merely stated, "Really, it was for your own good so don't get angry at what you're going to see…If I didn't do what I did, you'd probably be dead instead…" Leading the way now, Reno walked down the hallway and down yet another flight of stairs. "Wah! This place is huuuuge!"

"Keep moving." Tseng calmly replied. _Really now… I don't even know why I'm still following him, I should have just waited outside…_" Somehow, I get the feeling that I don't want to see what you've…" he spoke too soon. At that point, Reno stood in front a door and opened it. Inside sat Elena, bound in electrical cords, a wad of cloth stuffed in her mouth. She writhed violently, her eyes narrowed deadly at Reno.

Rude and Tseng stood in their spots, mouth agape, unable to move. "Uh… I'll go call for a helicopter to pick us up…" the Bald Turk stated as he turned to leave.

"Wait for me!" chime Reno as he quickly followed his companion. He knew that if he stayed… he wouldn't live to see tomorrow.

Raising a hand to his head, Tseng sighed. "I'm not even going to ask what happened between you two…" he said as he bent down and untied the female Turk. Once her hands and feet had been released from the cords and the cloth was free from her mouth, she sat in the closet and remained motionless, her head hung low. "Hmm?" As Tseng got up. "What now?" he asked. "If you want to kill Reno, I'm afraid you'll have to do that later. We're not don---"

Plop. A tear found its way to the floor. "Eh?" Tseng looked down at his comrade, confused.

"I…" she stated, finally looking up to reveal a face contorted in fear. "I really thought you were going to…"

Scratching his head again, Tseng sighed. "Listen…" he said as he bent down to face Elena. "I told you before and I'll say it again, I won't die so easily" He stated as he looked into Elena's eyes. "That's why, until that time ever comes, I need you to stay focused."

"… Yea!" The turk mustered. "Yea…"

Tseng reached into his pocket and searched for something.

"Huh?"

"Where is it?" he asked himself as his hand dug through all the junk that piled in his pocket.

Images raced across Elena's mind. _Maybe… No, it couldn't be! She had only been employed under Tseng for a few months. Surely he couldn't… _Her face blushed_, what if he really did get one… and decided that it was finally time to give it to me since we're alone… I hope it's silver…with my initials engraved in it._

"Here it is," he managed to say. His hand slowly coming out to reveal…

"Eh?" Elena stared in disbelief. "This is…"

"It's called a handkerchief" he bluntly stated. "Now wipe those marks off your face… seriously, before you think about coming out of that closet." Tseng said looking away, his face slightly turning a shade of pink. "I'll be waiting outside. You have two minutes so hurry up."

"I… What?" Elena pulled out her gun and stared into its shiny surface. "This is…this…"

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Elena stepped out onto the roof, the wind rushing past her hair and whistled in her ears. In the distance, large clouds of smoke hovered over the town.

"There you are!" Reno happily stated. "You look very radiant"

Quickly turning around to face the red head, she withdrew her gun and fired directly at him.

"Y-you…" the red head stared in disbelief as he leaned against a wall that encased the door to the building. A hole quietly fizzing from the bullet that just went into it a mere inch from Reno's head.

"Oops! Guess I missed." She said as she pocketed her gun into its holster again.

Ring, Ring! "Hmm?" Tseng answered his cell phone. "Yes… I understand." With that he turned toward his team. Next stop, Nibelheim.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

**Soooo… now we all patiently wait for the next chapter… oO; **


End file.
